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Is Henschke Living on its Reputation?

I have a number of reasons for posing this question.

Firstly, no one would argue that 1998 was a terrific vintage, and in most cases, eagerly awaited, and many of the top wines sold out super quickly. The 1998 Hill of Grace was released this time last year, so I was surprised to find a few boxes of it in a local shop very recently. I suspected it had been held back by the retailer, but was informed that it had only just come in, and that sparked a deep down thought in the grey matter, that had been brewing for some time and I did some further research.

When speaking to my mate, Tom who owns the Moss Vale Hotel, he informed me that he had recently been offered an additional allocation of 1998 HoG. This second allocation was bigger than his normal initial allocation in the previous few years. Did that mean, that because it was a good year, there was heaps more HoG than normal, or did it mean, that the wine was slow to sell through the first time? And then, one has to ask, why the agent or the winery held it back for twelve months.

The retail price of around $350 is not exactly inexpensive and is only really eclipsed by Grange, and as we all know, the 1998 Grange sold out in hours. Admittedly, there is not as much hype around HoG as Grange, but it is still regarded as one of Australia’s top icon wines. However the reputation of a medium size winery does not rest on one wine and one wine alone, the whole portfolio combines with the icon to complete the package. In its own way, Bin 389 is as important to Penfolds as Grange is and the same would apply to Henschke with say Mount Edelstone. Let’s face it, Mt Edelstone is also not cheap with a RRP of around $70 and at that price it should be a leading light.

The 1996 vintage is turning out to be a lovely wine but the 97 is pretty ordinary which is not surprising given the vintage conditions. The 1998 given the great conditions should be a cracker but is it? Oliver did not think so and rated it at 16.6. When I tried it I was not tempted to buy any despite having free DJ’s vouchers to cover the cost. So what about the 1999? My tasting note was as follows:-

“1999 Mount Edelstone The nose was slightly feral with barnyard notes but there is no doubt there was some very good dark berry fruit lurking below and trying to get out of jail. It’s a full-bodied wine with supple consistency, solid structure and an agreeable level of complexity. Tannins are dusty and drying, the fruit is deeply seated and strong. On the palate the wine comes across as young and tannic that’s slightly short on the palate but the liquorice and plum flavours linger well. The wine should flesh out in time as it comes together. Rated as Highly Recommended with ** for value.” Needles to say, I was not in the slightest bit tempted to buy any. Oliver rated it 17.9 and Halliday rated it 87. On reflection, my rating was probably generous!

So what about the 2000 which was not a great vintage by any stretch of the imagination, but then the HoG fruit did go into the Mt Edelstone, so in theory, that should have lifted it. My tasting note says… “The bouquet is very complex and inviting with sweet berries, plums, hints of vanilla, fern green notes and all sorts of other things. The fruit is delicate but deeply seated and shows red cherry, sweet cassis, savoury chocolate, light aniseed and mint which build across the palate into a long drying finish. Lovers of medium weight refined wines showing elegance and sophistication will appreciate this wine. Rated as Highly Recommended (just) with ** for value, it should peak around 2007 or beyond.” Once again no way would I even think about buying this wine, not even for a special occasion. It’s an all right $35 wine but that’s about all. Oliver rated it at 15.0 and Halliday rated it 88 points.

The 2001 vintage was the hottest on record, many growers did experience problems, but the Eden Valley should not have been as badly affected, as say, the Barossa or McLaren Vale. Whilst I have not the 2001 Mt Edelstone, the tasting notes I have seen so far indicate the wine is sound but not as good as many would have expected. As far as I can judge, none of the scores or tasting notes I have seen on Mt Edelstone since 1996 justify the price of the wine and do anything to support the Henschke reputation.

However, the question of the Henschke slide goes deeper. I used to be a keen buyer of Keyneton Estate and thought it represented good value. When the price hit $25 in good vintages like 1994 and 1996, the wine was certainly worthy of cellar space even if the price was close to being marginal. Even the 1998 at $26 on special (RRP about $33) was worth buying but, and it is a big but, it was not as good a wine as the 1996 and 1994 in my opinion. The 1999, which in reality was an OK vintage, was not worth considering under normal circumstances and the 2000 was ordinary.

I have no idea why the standard of the Henschke reds appear to be sliding but how long can a winery live on its past glory and name? Certainly at the prices charged for their wine, which includes a substantial premium cost for the name, it cannot go on forever. My hope is that what ever is causing the drop is fixed and the wines once again return to their former high standard.